Indicator for electric switches.



H. H. BERRY. INDICATOR FOR ELEGTRXO SWITCHES.

APPLIUNHOK FILED AUG.5. 1913.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

firm m? h. 55 R Y ATTORNEY HERBERT HENRY BERRY, OF. LONDO R. ENGLAND.

INDICATOR FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23. 1915.

Application fled August 5, 1913. Serial Io. 788,008.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT HENRY BERRY, a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident of 78 Upper Thames street, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Imgrovements in Indicators for Electric witches, of which the following is a specification such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to electric sw' ches particularly those generally known iron clad switches which are operated by an external handle.

In electric installations particularly those used for heating purposes, for example, for cooking at restaurants, hotels. etc., it is common practice to arrange in the circuit and preferably close to the main switch a lamp, usually a ruby lamp, which is alight when the switch is in the closed or on position, the said lamp serving the purpose of drawing attention to the position of the switch, so that when the current is not required the switch will be moved to the ofi' position, thereby obviating the wastage of electric current which might occur in the cooking utensils without being observed, and the amount of current wasted, for example during the night, being a considerable amount. These pilot or indicating lamps serve their purpose when in order but are liable to breakage and to be burnt out in addition to which the cost of replacement must be taken into account.

The primary object of the present invention is to apply to switches, particularly the class above referred to, an indicator which will serve the purpose of the lamp and which will be brought into and out of view with the switching on and off of the current.

The invention may be broadly described as providing a reflecting surface in or upon the switch which will be so moved by the opening of the switch that the reflecting surface is invisible or is changed.

A preferred form of the invention consists in providin a reflex indicator, preferably having ru y glass, and so arranged in conjunction with the lever or handle of the switch that it will be turned u to reflect daylight or artificial light w en the switch is on and will be turned downwardly or otherwise so that its reflecting surface is practically invisible when the switch is openofl'. Two reflectors may be used on one switch to indicate on and ofl respectively. switch to which the present invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1, and ig. 3 shows the invention in another form. Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 3.

i re 1 is a front view of an iron clad switc to which the present invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows the invention in another form. Fig. 4 is a side View of Fig. 3.

Referrin to Figs 1 and 2, the cover a of the switch has passing through it a handle or knob b the two positions of which are shown in Fig. 2 and below this handle the reflecting indicator 0 on bracket (1 is pivotally mounted at e on the lugs. f attached to the cover a. It will be observed that the bracket d is of angle shape and is connected by link 9 to the handle 6 in such a manner that when the said handle is pushed in, as shown in full lines, and the switch is closed, the reflector is raised and is easily visible but when the handle is drawn out the reflector is rocked over to the position shown by dotted lines and is practically invisible.

In Figs. 3 and 4 which illustrate a switch having a side lever A, the reflector c is raised by a hook or extension i on the side lever when the latter is pushed back and when the lever is pulled forward to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4 the reflector falls forward by gravity, its movements being regulated by the screw 7'. In

this example an auxiliary reflector I: is fixed to the cover of the switch and is adapted to be covered and uncovered by the movements of the reflector 0' so that for example the reflector 0 may be red and the reflector is green and the li ht in the room or place where the switch is fixed in always reflected by one or other of the reflectors, the red reflector indicating the switch is closed and the green reflector that it is open.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In an electric switch case, a cover therefor; an external handle on said cover and Q 1 ,mopne adapted to operate a switch mechanism, a reflector pivotally mounted upon the cover, and a screw on said reflector engaged by an extension on said handle whereby the reflector is brou ht into the raised ition to reflect li ht w en the said hand e is operated to 0 use the switch mechanism, the reflector falling by gravity into its lowered position so as to reflect practically no light In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT HENRY BERRY.

Witnesses:

P. MORTON, H. D. JAMESON.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,129,628, granted February 23 1915, upon the application of Herbert Henry Berry, of London, England, for an improvement in Indicators for Electric Switches errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, after line 59, insert the clause Tile invention may) be applz'edrto various kinds ofmaitches and two examples are shown in the accompanying drawings, in w/u'cb:-; same page, strike out lines 60-63; and

that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 23rd day of March, A. D., 1915.

J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissiorm of Patmta. 

